Cooperstown Cheese is in Trouble: Major Listeria Outbreak, Recall

Reports from the State Agriculture and Markets Department indicate that raw milk cheese from Cooperstown Cheese Company is being recalled due to possible Listeria contamination.

The Toma Celena Raw Milk Alpine Table Cheeses which is made by Cooperstown Cheese Company in Milford has been recalled following a routine sample testing of the cheeses that were taken by an inspector with the Division of Milk Control and Dairy Services on Oct. 3. The product was then tested by the state food laboratory.

The laboratory results found that the cheese was contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. The manufacturer voluntarily recalled the cheese and also revealed that they are going to destroy the product, which is packaged in a wheel covered by white butcher paper or in vacuum-sealed plastic with the plant number 36-8524 and a code of 51017. Consumers should note that all package sizes and styles with these codes are subject to recall.

The recalled cheese was being sold at locations in Hudson, Delhi, Menands, Ithaca, Peekskill, Tannersville, Roxbury, Oneonta, and Phoenicia.

Contamination with Listeria is likely to cause Listeriosis, a disease that causes mild flu-like symptoms in healthy individuals, however, it can also cause meningitis and blood poisoning in immune-compromised people.

There’s no illnesses that have been reported to the state agriculture department as of today. However, it takes up to 70 days after exposure for symptoms of Listeria infection to develop.

Consumers who have eaten the recalled cheese ought to watch-out for the listeriosis symptoms in the coming weeks. Individuals that are potentially infected should tell their doctors about their possible exposure to the bacteria.

Some of the symptoms of listeriosis include stiff neck, muscle aches, fever, headache, loss of balance, confusion, and diarrhea.

The infection in pregnant women can cause stillbirths, miscarriages, premature delivery or life-threatening infection of the newborn.

The infection is also likely to cause fatal damage in young children, individuals with weak immune systems and cancer patients.